4hotshoez Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I was asked how Chief works on a server. I know Chief can be loaded on as many computers as desired but what about project files and libraries? The server can be slow to work from. What works for a configuration of multiple locations and users of the same projects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbuttery Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 probably best to contact CA's tech support short answer - YES longer answer - it all depends Lew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenL-sdd Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I would not run a server. The cheapest way is to use the paid version of dropbox. The files are always available and update as they are saved. Synology has a file server that runs cloud station. It is like a personal dropbox service. Much more setup. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4hotshoez Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 I thought about Dropbox. I may need to try that. The office has a server already, but It might be nice to use Dropbox to keep everything up to date with minimal effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlackore Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Our office runs six seats of X6. All project files reside on a box running Windows Server 2008 r2. We also keep shared resources (texture files, backdrops, etc) on the server. I know that CA doesn't recommend this, but honestly, how can an office function otherwise? We haven't noticed any problems that are different from most of the users on this forum who are storing plan and layout files locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barton_Brown Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I would not run a server. The cheapest way is to use the paid version of dropbox. The files are always available and update as they are saved. Synology has a file server that runs cloud station. It is like a personal dropbox service. Much more setup. Ken I just started using dropbox. As a SINGLE USER the system works great for me. The files (even large libraries) sync as fast or faster than I can do the software activation switch with CA if I switch machines. For a multi-user environment, not sure how dropbox handles file locking but I don't think you would want more than one user actively modifying any project file at once. Library files commonly shared on dropbox might also be an issue with locking as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kbird1 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Chief does not recommend running the program with file locking off , too much risk of file corruption , but other's may have real world scenarios they can expand on.... this has be discussed in other threads though ,so a search should find more info , I didn't read into it much muself since it's not a scenario I will ever run into here. M. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4hotshoez Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Barton said: For a multi-user environment, not sure how dropbox handles file locking but I don't think you would want more than one user actively modifying any project file at once. I would not have more than one user modifying a project at one time, but I would likely be working hard on a presentation to show a client and then immediately go into the conference room with the client to show the project on that computer. If the file changed at my desktop, I am not sure if the server or dropbox would make the update quick enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryM8 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Yes, Dropbox would work that quickly. That is one of the real benefits of using it. It is almost surprising at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barton_Brown Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Dropbox has an 'intelligent' update rather than pushing an entire file when a change is made. I have a .plan file that is large (yes, and probably very bloated) of about 90 MB. When I make small changes to that file, it is synced in dropbox in less than 10 seconds! The only way for you to know is to try it - I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenL-sdd Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Todd, Try dropbox 1st. If it is fast enough, run with it. I do run a synology ds412+. This runs as a personal (company) version of dropbox. It updates super fast on local network. Netgear wireless router r6250. It connects at 234 Mbps wireless. That is about 1.8gb per minute if my lookup is correct. Outside the office depents on you internet speed. We run 50 download / 12 upload. More on cloud staion HERE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug_Park Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 As far as file access goes, Chief does as well as any application. The issues with accessing files stored on a server are: 1) The reliability of the network. A reliable network will do fine. An unreliable network can be a major problem. 2) If you are sharing the same files you will either need to use the File Locking mechanism or use some other librarian type software to ensure that only one person at a time modifies any given plan. We have several customers who work on servers quite successfully. Many of them have at one time or another been burned by someone turning off File Locking. It takes some discipline to be successful in this sort of environment. If you have multiple people sharing files, synchronization tools like drop box seem unlikely to be a good choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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